Municipal League Research Articles

The Managerial Apprenticeship of FDR’s Budget Director: Harold D. Smith and the Michigan Municipal League, 1928–1937

Public administration history often notes the seminal role of Harold D. Smith, FDR’s budget director (1939–1945), in the professionalization of the field and his principles for public budgeting. He was a cofounder of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and its second president (1940–1941). Smith came to Washington after a longer career in nonprofit management. This exploratory historical case study fills in a gap in the literature. Specifically, it examines his nonprofit management record at the Michigan Municipal League (1928–1937). He successfully grew the nonprofit in the teeth of the Great Depression. This success, among others, can be seen as providing two possible applications. First, his record suggests some commonalities between nonprofit management and public administration. Second, leading a nonprofit during the Great Depression may suggest applicable lessons for longer-term problems caused by COVID-19 regarding organizational management strategies during another severe economic contraction.

Trying to Professionalize Expert Knowledge (Part I): The Short Life of the Municipal Administration Service, 1926-1933

One of the building blocks of the professionalization of American public administration was the recognition of the need for expert knowledge and the wide dissemination of that information to practitioners. Municipal civil servants could adopt and adapt these best practices in their localities. Such was the purpose of the Municipal Administration Service (1926-1933), initially founded by the National Municipal League and funded by the Rockefeller philanthropies. This article is an organizational history of the Service. It presents the life cycle of the agency, including its operations, funding, problems, and the behind-the-scenes public administration politics which led to its demise. In all, the Municipal Administration Service captures the early history of American public administration, its attempt to demonstrate that it was a full-fledged profession with recognized experts and managerial advice that ultimately proved unable to perpetuate itself.

The Radical Right, the National Municipal League Smear File, and the Controversy over Metropolitan Government in the United States during the Postwar Years

This paper reports on activities undertaken by the National Municipal League (NML) and the Public Administration Service (PAS) during the 1950’s and 1960’s to counter libelous and slanderous actions taken by grass roots activists in opposition to efforts to reform metropolitan governance across the United States. I utilize records from the NML archives—and give special attention to their “Smear File”—to chronicle and analyze the key events and actors. Specifically, I focus on the ideas of opponents of metropolitan government reform from the South and West in the United States including Jo Hindman, Dan Smoot, and Don Bell. These individuals used right-wing idea distribution vehicles including magazines, small-town newspapers, and subscription newsletters to disseminate their arguments and rally support for their cause. I also analyze the actions of their foes at the NML and PAS—namely those of Alfred Willoughby, Executive Director of the National Municipal League; H.G. Pope, President of the Public Administration Service;Richard S. Childs, former President of the National Municipal League; and Karl Detzer,Roving Editor for Reader’s Digest and contributing writer for the National Municipal Review, the academic and professional journal of the National Municipal League. This study adds to the literature explaining the lack of metropolitan governmental frameworks at the local level in the United States, which has been built on the work of Charles Tiebout, Vincent Ostrom, Robert Bish, Ronald Oakerson, and Roger Parks. Although this analysis is idiographic and historical in perspective, it does not necessarily challenge the core empirical results of the nomothetic modeling of these scholars.

Tackling Wicked Problems Through Deliberative Engagement

National Civic ReviewVolume 105, Issue 1 p. 44-47 Essay Tackling Wicked Problems Through Deliberative Engagement Martin Carcasson, Martin CarcassonSearch for more papers by this author Martin Carcasson, Martin CarcassonSearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 April 2016 https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.21258Citations: 12 Author's note: I oversee the Center for Public Deliberation (CPD) at Colorado State University (CSU), which trains undergraduate students as small group facilitators, then designs and runs various deliberative projects for local cities, school districts, and community organizations, providing critical capacity for deliberative engagement. I also work with the Kettering Foundation's Centers for Public Life program to build such capacity across the nation. This article originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of Colorado Municipalities. Used by permission of the Colorado Municipal League. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume105, Issue1Spring 2016Pages 44-47 RelatedInformation

What Makes an All‐America City?

The All-America City Award program of the National Civic League (NCL) began in 1949 after a journalist approached the National Municipal League about an idea to name the top ten best-governed cities in America. Recognizing the difficulty of making such a judgment and understanding the vital role of civic engagement in community success, NCL leaders decided to initiate an award program to recognize communities for civic achievement. Since the program’s inception, NCL has continued to learn from the field about what makes a city successful, and the criteria to be named an All-America City have evolved accordingly. The four measures now include civic engagement and collaboration, innovation, inclusiveness and diversity, and impact. These criteria often can seem elusive and difficult to demonstrate. Projects of the 2014 All-America City finalists and winners give tangible examples of these criteria and how they can create lasting outcomes, especially when used together.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Youth Sports: The Role of the Sports Manager and Coach

The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rapidly increasing throughout the United States. This increase also has an impact on participation in local community programs such as youth sports and recreational activities. The administrators of these agencies and departments will be required to develop and implement programs that meet the needs of the children and families affected by ASD. Certain programs are designated as therapeutic recreation programs, with the specific structure and resources to support and provide activities for children with special needs. However, private and municipal youth leagues for soccer, baseball, and basketball generally focus on serving the general public without the resources and specific means to address the needs of children affected by ASD. The purpose of this article is to focus on the sport and recreation programs that are not considered therapeutic recreation programs.

The Valley of Fear

In 1949 a good government group in Phoenix began a long period of political dominance. Despite winning every mayoral and council election for two decades, during this era the group suffered a major policy defeat, as a grassroots group linked anticommunist fervor and concerns about private property rights to halt the city’s efforts at urban renewal and rehabilitating older urban housing. While this group reflected local concerns, it was also part of a nationwide far-right campaign against urban renewal and the National Municipal League. In Phoenix this campaign delayed establishment of a housing code for a decade, contributing to the further decline of the center city and encouraging suburban growth.

Promoting Competition under Regulation: Nixon v. Missouri Municipal League

Promoting Competition under Regulation: Nixon v. Missouri Municipal League

Associated Municipalities

Students of federalism in the United States and elsewhere have long been fascinated by the relationships between lower and higher levels of government. State municipal leagues are one important, yet understudied, means by which cities interact with states in the United States. I examine the history of these municipal leagues, arguing that the timing of their formation in U.S. states was in part dependent on state restrictions on special legislation and in part due to the efforts of nationwide networks of policy entrepreneurs. Drawing on scholarly literatures on collective action and associational networks, I develop and test an account of how state municipal leagues formed and how they spread.

Testing Is State's Responsibility

Missouri has monitored public drinking water since 1919. In 1978, Missouri law enacted a safe drinking water act giving the state authority to enforce state laws for public drinking water. Under the law, the state health department was required to provide testing free of charge. The state constitution was amended in 1980, making it unconstitutional for the state to reduce the state‐financed proportion of the costs. In 1982, the law was amended to require the collection of fees to cover the reasonable costs of laboratory services, even if the water supplier is not using the state's services. The trial court ruled against the Missouri Municipal League when they challenged the fees. An appellate court reversed the decision, stating that the 1982 law violated the constitutional prohibition against reducing the state's financial proportion of the costs of water testing.

Training municipal elected officials: Current practice and a developmental model

This paper reviews training currently available to elected officials in US municipalities. It examines training offered by municipal leagues, professional associations and universities. The paper also reviews the literature on the kind of training needed by local elected officials. Needs vary with community size. From this information a model of training needs and delivery agencies available or appropriate for that training is developed. Due to the constraints on local officials in smaller communities, the collaborative model proposes that municipal leagues, professional associations, and universities work together to provide necessary training. A special role for Cooperative Extension Service agents is proposed as well.

An Overview of State-Published Local Government Financial Data

See appendix for an extensive list state-published local government financial data which are the subject this report. Governmental bureaucracies, private sector groups, and the general public often have a need for revenue, expenditure, and debt statistics concerning county and municipal (i.e., city, town, village, and borough) governments. A number publishers this information currently include: the federal government, various states, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, and private vendors. The U. S. Bureau the Census, the primary data source, publishes annual compilations this financial information in summary and component form in several documents: Government Finances, County Government Finances, City Government Finances, and Local Government Finances in Major County Areas. However, comprehensive and comparative data coverage localities in these publications is relatively limited (e.g., individual counties are assumed to have a population 100,000 or more residents and individual cities to have at least 50,000 inhabitants). Nonetheless, every five years the U.S. Census Bureau does provide comprehensive data collection for all localities as part its Census Government series. A notable advantage both the annual and quinquennial reports is that categorical uniformity facilitates financial comparisons by type government within and among the states. On the other hand, federal budgetary restrictions in recent years have often limited the timely availability the data. Alternatively, a somewhat more limited and lesser known data source exists. Currently, 15 state governments annually publish revenue, expenditure, debt, and additional supplementary statistical information for every county and municipality within their borders in a timely manner. Historical Background Recognizing the chaotic state local government accounting practices in the late 19th century, the National Municipal League recommended in 1898 that states begin supervising counties and municipalities by prescribing and installing uniform accounting systems, inspecting local accounting offices, and collecting and publishing comparative financial statistics (Kilpatrick, 1913, p. 249). It was hoped, the availability such data would be of immeasurable importance in promoting efficient internal administration municipal affairs as well as direct service to the economist and student political science in its larger aspects (Gettemy, 1913, p. 353). Ohio became the first state to use a standard format for reporting comparative financial statistics localities by initially publishing data for cities in 1905 (for counties in 1908). New York (1907), Massachusetts (1908--cities and towns only), Iowa (1908--cities and towns only), Indiana (1909), California (1912), Wisconsin (1918), New Jersey (1919), and Michigan (1919-counties only) began their publication efforts shortly thereafter. New Jersey issued only two reports between 1919 and 1928, but resumed continuous publication in 1939. Georgia has provided such data annually since 1982--in summary form by type local government, but not for individual localities. Six states, including five the early pioneers, stopped publication several years ago. Indiana and Iowa--both with intermittent publishing records--curtailed their efforts in 1967 and 1971, respectively, for unknown reasons. Illinois (1979), Massachusetts (1981), and Ohio (1981) suspended publication due to budgetary difficulties--but state agencies currently make it available through computer printout or disk form. A similar format is currently available through the University Michigan and the University Utah covering all the localities in those states. The University Oregon made computer printouts this data available for a brief period (1984-92). The remaining 28 states have never published financial data for their individual counties and municipalities. …

Terry sanford is new president of citizens forum/national municipal league

Terry sanford is new president of citizens forum/national municipal league

Book Reviews

Abstract Abstract Dx, Rx: Diagnoses, Prescriptions, and American Society The state Against Blacks Walter E. Williams. McGraw-Hill (New Press), New York, 1982. 183 pp. $14.95. Markets and Minorities Thomas Sowell. Basic Books, New York, 1981, 368 pp. $12.98 (cloth), $6.00 (paperback). The Underclass Ken Auletta. Random House (Vintage), New York, 1982. 368 pp. $17.50 (cloth), $6.95 (paperback). Restructuring the City: The Political Economy of Urban Redevelopment Susan S. Fainstein, Norman I. Fainstein, Richard Child Hill, Dennis Judd, Michael Peter Smith. Longman, New York and London, 1983. 296 pp. $27.50 (cloth), $14.85 (paperback). Ending Unemployment: Alternatives for Public Policy Melvin R. Levin. University of Maryland, Baltimore/College Park, 1982. 398 pp. (np). Land Use Law Daniel R. Mandelker. The Michie Company, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1982. 407 pp. $35.00. 1983 Zoning and Planning Handbook Frederic A. Strom, ed. Clark Boardman, New York, 1983. 429 pp. $37.50 (paperback). Readings in Urban Analysis: Perspectives on Urban Form and Structure Robert W. Lake, ed. Center for Urban Policy Research, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1983. 352 pp. $12.95 (paperback). The Coming of the Transactional City Jean Gottmann. University of Maryland, Institute for Urban Studies, College Park, Maryland, 1983. 106 pp. $12.00 (paperback). Housing America Wallace F. Smith, ed. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, California, 1983. 224 pp. $15.00 (cloth), $7.95 (paperback). The Great Housing Experiment Joseph Friedman and Daniel H. Weinberg, eds. Volume 24, Urban Affairs Annual Reviews. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, California, 1983. 320 pp. $28.00. Experimenting with Housing Allowances: Findings of a Ten-Year Study of Housing Assistance for Low-Income Families, with Implications for National Housing Policy Ira S. Lowry, ed. Oelgeschlager, Gunn & Hain, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1983. 445 pp. $35.00. Incentives for Environmental Protection Thomas C. Schelling, ed. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1983. 384 pp. $32.50. An Annotated Reader in Environmental Planning and Management Timothy O'Riordan and R. Kerry Turner, eds. Pergamon Press, Elmsford, New York, 1983. 460 pp. $45.00 (cloth), $20.00 (paperback). Paternalism, Conflict and Coproduction: Learning From Citizen Action and Citizen Participation in Western Europe Lawrence Susskind, Michael Elliott and associates. Plenum Press, New York, 1983. 359 pp. $32.50. Urban Waterfront Development Douglas M. Wrenn, John A. Casazza, and J. Eric Smart. Urban Land Institute, Washington, 1983. 219 pp. $35.25 (paperback). Municipal Expenditures, Revenues and Services: Economic Models and Their Use by Planners W. Patrick Beaton, ed. Center for Urban Policy Research, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1983. 255 pp. $12.95 (paperback). Cities in the 21st Century Gary Gappert and Richard V. Knight, eds. Volume 23, Urban Affairs Annual Reviews. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, California, 1982. 352 pp. $28.00 (cloth), $14.00 (paperback). Conflict, Politics and the Urban Scene Kevin R. Cox and R. J. Johnston. St. Martin's Press, New York, 1982. 265 pp. $27.50. Power and Crisis in the City: Corporations, Unions, and Urban Policy Roger Friedland. Schocken Books, New York, 1983. 248 pp. $19.95. Planners and Public Expectations Howell Baum. Shenckman Publishing Company, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1983. 307 pp. $15.95 (cloth), $9.95 (paperback). Professionals and Urban Form Judith R. Blau, Mark E. LaGory, and John S. Pipkin, eds. State University of New York Press, Albany, 1983. 367 pp. $44.50 (cloth), $12.95 (paperback). The Downtown Plan: Proposal for Citizen Review Department of City Planning, City and County of San Francisco, August 1983 (np). The Pursuit of Urban History Derek Fraser and Anthony Sutcliffe, eds. London: Edward Arnold, 1983. 482 pp. $69.50. Available in the United States from Edward Arnold, Baltimore, Maryland. Investing in America: Initiatives for Community and Economic Development Renee A. Berger, Kristen S. Moy, Neal R. Peirce, and Carol Steinbach, eds. The President's Task Force on Private Sector Initiatives, Washington, 1982. Available from the Citizens Forum on Self-Government/National Municipal League, Inc., New York. 218 pp. (np). Changing Housing Standards Rolf Goetze. Public Technology Inc., Washington, 1983. 63 pp. $10.00 (paperback). Environmental Quality 1982 Council on Environmental Quality. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1982. 330 pp. $5.50 (paperback). Guide to Information from Government Sources Van Mayros and D. Michael Werner. Chilton Book Company, Radnor, Pennsylvania, 1983. 188 pp. $10.95. Information Sourcebook for Marketers and Strategic Planner Van Mayros and D. Michael Werner. Chilton Book Company, Radnor, Pennsylvania, 1983. 326 pp. $18.95 (paperback).

Making partnership federalism work: Unanswered questions, unresolved issues

National Civic ReviewVolume 73, Issue 1 p. 11-15 Article Making partnership federalism work: Unanswered questions, unresolved issues James L. Hetland Jr., James L. Hetland Jr. James L. Hetland, Jr., president of Citizens Forum/National Municipal League, is senior vice president, First Bank Minneapolis. This is based on his address at the 89th National Conference on Government, November 14, 1983, in BaltimoreSearch for more papers by this author James L. Hetland Jr., James L. Hetland Jr. James L. Hetland, Jr., president of Citizens Forum/National Municipal League, is senior vice president, First Bank Minneapolis. This is based on his address at the 89th National Conference on Government, November 14, 1983, in BaltimoreSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1984 https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.4100730105 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume73, Issue1January 1984Pages 11-15 RelatedInformation

A continuing civic forum

National Civic ReviewVolume 72, Issue 11 p. 575-590 Comment A continuing civic forum† First published: December 1983 https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.4100721102 † This is the 1983 annual report of Executive-Director William N. Cassella, Jr., to the annual meeting of the Council, November 13, 1983 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract The National Municipal League should and can be of greater importance to the strengthening of American self-government in the final decades of the 20th century than at any time since the organization was established during the last decade of the 19th century… As the only national organization which has consistently stressed the importance of sound structure and procedure, it has for 86 years provided guidance needed to increase the effectiveness of the state and local elements of American federalism in meeting the challenges of a highly complex, pluralistic society. The need for such guidance has never been greater than it is as we enter the 1980s. Volume72, Issue11December 1983Pages 575-590 RelatedInformation

Richard Spencer Childs (1882 – 1978)

Richard Spencer Childs, the son of a wealthy businessman, was born in Manchester, Connecticut in 1882. His father, William Hamlin Childs, was founder of the Bon Ami Company. The family moved to Brooklyn in 1892 and Childs lived the rest of his life in the New York area. Childs emerged as an important and influential political reformer during the early years of the 20th century, the so-called Progressive era. His steadfast belief that only major elected offices attracted large electorates and that the long ballot strengthened political machines motivated him to launch the short ballot movement. He remained active for two generations in the drive to democratize the machinery of government. His reform zeal was rooted in the conviction that an inefficient and undemocratic government was caused largely by structural deficiencies. Although the Progressive period in American politics is well-known for the social reformers it produced, Childs became a prime mover of the lesser-known but equally important structural reform movement. The development of the medical examiner system as a replacement for the outmoded and politically marked coroner's system, therefore, was the outcome of this movement. Through his activities in the National Municipal League, his work with Dr. Alan Moritz and Dr. Richard Ford, and the support of Milton Helpern, Childs helped to promote knowledge of the model medical examiner law requirements, which was deveoped by the efforts of Childs and this organization. He was always interested in the progress in America of the advancement and adoption of adequate medicolegal investigative systems. American medicolegal investigation is indebted to the activities and support of Richard Spencer Childs.

The federal role in the federal system? A troublesome topic

National Civic ReviewVolume 72, Issue 1 p. 6-23 Article The federal role in the federal system? A troublesome topic David B. Walker, David B. Walker David B. Walker is assistant director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. This is his presentation at the Citizens Forum/National Municipal League's 88th National Conference on Government. August 16, 1982, in Seattle. The views are his own and should not be attributed to the commissionSearch for more papers by this author David B. Walker, David B. Walker David B. Walker is assistant director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. This is his presentation at the Citizens Forum/National Municipal League's 88th National Conference on Government. August 16, 1982, in Seattle. The views are his own and should not be attributed to the commissionSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1983 https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.4100720103 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume72, Issue1January 1983Pages 6-23 RelatedInformation

Intergovernmental derregulation: Requisite for a viable federalism

National Civic ReviewVolume 72, Issue 1 p. 24-34 Article Intergovernmental derregulation: Requisite for a viable federalism William G. Colman, William G. Colman is former executive director of the U. S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and is a governmental consultant. This is his presentation at the Citizens Forum/National Municipal League's 88th National Conference on Government, August 16, 1982, in SeattleSearch for more papers by this author William G. Colman, William G. Colman is former executive director of the U. S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and is a governmental consultant. This is his presentation at the Citizens Forum/National Municipal League's 88th National Conference on Government, August 16, 1982, in SeattleSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1983 https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.4100720104 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume72, Issue1January 1983Pages 24-34 RelatedInformation

News of the Society

Harold D. Smith, president of the American Society for Public Administration in 1941, whose career in government included work with municipal, state, federal, and international agencies, died suddenly of a heart attack on January 23. With his death, the country loses one of its ablest public servants, and one who had taken a leading part in developing administration as a science and as a governmental career. Mr. Smith, who at the time of his death was acting president of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, served for seven years as director of the budget. He was called to head the Budget Bureau when it was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Executive Office of the President. He built it up to meet the severe demands of the national defense emergency and the World War, putting new emphasis on its work in the fields of administrative management and the development of international organizations. Mr. Smith came to the federal service from the state of Michigan where he was budget director from 1937 to 1939. Earlier he had been director of the Michigan Municipal League and, in 1933-34, president of the American Municipal Association. Before that time he had worked with the Detroit Bureau of Governmental Research, the League of Kansas Municipalities, and the Michigan Municipal League. He held a Master's degree in public administration from the University of Michigan.